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Sunday, November 25, 2012

LOWBROW TAROT DECK: Review

"There are 22 cards in the Major Arcana, each showing some aspect
of the human experience. The cards of the Major Arcana are focused on three
themes: the realm of the material world, the realm of the intuitive mind, and
the realm of change."

There’s something so powerful about a Major’s only deck and
the Lowbrow’s images are the beautifully realized conceptions of each artist’s
vision of the 22 Major Arcana.

I was first captivated by the Empress (Cate Rangel) when I stumbled onto
information about this project online in 2011, I couldn't wait to see the other
images. I wondered how assigning a different artist to each of the Major Arcana
would "blend".

After viewing the
deck and “getting to know it” for a few days I’m not sure I would be able to do
a reading with it. I do think pulling one
of these cards and adding it to a spread would give interesting depth to the
reading. Every tarot deck either appeals
to the user visually or not - and this is one of those decks that some will go
crazy for and others won’t care for that said, The Low Brow Tarot Project is an
amazing concept that took an incredible effort to complete. I have the utmost respect for all who were
involved. The images will appeal most to those who enjoy the pop-surrealist style. Each card is
unique and if you’re someone who enjoys “themed” decks, this won’t appeal to
you. My overall feeling is that it’s a
huge accomplishment for Aunia Kahn, and all of the collaborators involved. I personally don’t see this as a working deck
but a true collector’s item for anyone with an interest in art. I also don’t
consider it to be a deck for beginners.

I have mixed feelings about the LWB because it doesn’t
really provide much information when it comes to possible meanings for each
card, only a small description (upright and reversed) from the artist who
created the image. It consists of the story of how Aunia Kahn came up with the
idea to create the Lowbrow Tarot and a full page color image is shown of each
card with the artists meaning and the reversed meaning. Each artist’s website
is given at the bottom of the page. There are no spreads in this LWB, and it’s more
focused on the artists than it is on the tarot.

The box is sturdy cardboard with a magnetic lid and features
The Wheel of Fortune (Heather Watts)
card on the front.

The interesting card backs are by Daniel Martin Diaz. The design is a flipped version of top and
bottom allowing for reversals to be used.
Terra Aqua is upright and Ignis Aura is reversed, there are many
esoteric symbols to be discovered in this image.

These are not the largest cards we've seen from Schiffer,
they measure 3 1/4 X 5 1 /4, they have rounded corners and the borders are
black. The name and number on the front of each card is done in a way that
blends in with the border so there is no distraction from the art in this deck.

My absolute favorite card in this deck is Strength:

By: Brian M. Viveros

She is strength, she
is determination, she is power, she is the focused smoking soldier that has
walked through the battlefields of life.
She is confident within herself and presents herself to the world as
strong. Her cuts and scars are a
reminder of what she’s been through, and through it all she is a survivor
standing tall.